In a classic “Saturday Night Live” sketch, a young man hands his girlfriend a Valentine’s Day gift: a bear dressed in a bee costume that he picked up at the drugstore. “When did you get this?” she asks with a strained smile. “One minute ago,” he replies. For last-minute shopping, Americans still tend to spend a lot. This year, they’re expected to shell out a collective $25.8 billion, according to the National Retail Federation. Candy is the most popular gift; nearly 60% of Valentine’s shoppers planning to buy some. Greeting cards are second.
Quick Read
- A “Saturday Night Live” sketch humorously highlights the common practice of last-minute Valentine’s Day gift shopping, a trend supported by market research showing nearly half of U.S. Valentine’s spending occurs just days before the holiday.
- Numerator’s data reveals that Valentine’s Day itself sees the peak in sales of flowers, candy, and cards, with significant spikes in purchases on February 13 and 14 at major retailers like Walmart and Kroger.
- Despite early promotions by stores, many consumers delay their Valentine’s shopping, contributing to the $25.8 billion expected to be spent in total, with candy and greeting cards being the top choices.
- Some early shopping trends are noted at Target, especially for home décor and potted plants, indicating a mix of purchasing behaviors.
- Procrastination is evident in Walgreens’ sales data, showing a significant portion of Valentine’s candy and cards sold in the final two days, and delivery services like Uber Eats experience a surge in flower orders on and after Valentine’s Day.
- Businesses, particularly small ones like Just Bouquets in Nebraska, face challenges in meeting the last-minute demand, leading to stress and extra effort to satisfy customers.
- Reservation and event data, such as from OpenTable and Meadow Brook Hall, show that last-minute planning can lead to missed opportunities for special experiences, underscoring the broader trend of procrastination beyond perishable gifts.
- DePaul University’s Professor Joseph Ferrari discusses the psychology behind procrastination, suggesting it may be driven by post-holiday fatigue, fear of failure, or the pressure of selecting the perfect gift, and emphasizes the importance of expressing love consistently, not just on Valentine’s Day.
The Associated Press has the story:
Chocolates & flowers. For many Americans, Valentine’s Day is a last-minute affair
Newslooks- (AP)
In a classic “Saturday Night Live” sketch, a young man hands his girlfriend a Valentine’s Day gift: a bear dressed in a bee costume that he picked up at the drugstore. “When did you get this?” she asks with a strained smile. “One minute ago,” he replies.
It has more than a ring of truth. For a day meant to celebrate romance and the depths of feeling we have for loved ones, a large portion of Valentine’s shopping is done at the last minute.
In each of the past two years, nearly half of U.S. spending on Valentine’s Day flowers, candy and cards occurred between Feb. 11 and Feb. 14, according to Numerator, a market research company. But sales do not peak until Valentine’s Day itself.
Walmart — which sells nearly 40 million red roses for the holiday — says around 75% of its Valentine’s Day sales occur on Feb. 13 and 14. Those two days account for 80% of Kroger’s sales during Valentine’s week.
“Although stores begin pushing their Valentine’s Day inventory weeks ahead of the day, before the holiday itself, most consumers save their shopping for the last minute,” said Amanda Schoenbauer, an analyst with Numerator.
For last-minute shopping, Americans still tend to spend a lot. This year, they’re expected to shell out a collective $25.8 billion, according to the National Retail Federation. Candy is the most popular gift; nearly 60% of Valentine’s shoppers planning to buy some. Greeting cards are second.
Some of that spending takes place well before the holiday. Target says consumers start snapping up Valentine’s home décor soon after Christmas ends. Valentine’s-themed potted plants were also popular this year, Target said, and many of those plants were bought early rather than closer to the holiday as is usually the case with cut flowers.
Yet procrastination seems to be part of the holiday tradition, according to data from Walgreens, which sold 44% of its Valentine’s candy and 56% of its Valentine’s cards on Feb. 13 and 14.
Delivery companies help some consumers shave it even closer. Uber Eats says its flower orders peak on Valentine’s Day between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Uber Eats says it also appears to be a resource for forgetful lovers: Its flower orders are 60% higher than average on the day after Valentine’s Day.
Procrastinators can make it tough for businesses to keep customers satisfied.
Linda Bryant grows many of the flowers she sells at Just Bouquets, her flower shop in Panama, Nebraska. Usually she delivers the flowers herself, but on Valentine’s Day her husband helps.
“Valentine’s would not be my favorite florist holiday just because it’s stressful,” she said. “I don’t go out. I’m too tired. But I love making people happy.”
Bryant sympathizes with the people who call in orders on Valentine’s Day. She spent a lot of time trying to figure out how many flowers to order for her shop this Valentine’s Day. The decision was made last minute.
“The people who call on February 14 are usually desperate,” she said. “I try to be kind and remind them, it’s always February 14. The date doesn’t change.”
One could argue that people order flowers at the last minute just to keep them fresh, but the procrastination trend extends beyond gifts that can wilt.
In 2023, 30% of OpenTable reservations for Valentine’s Day were made the day before and 18% were made on the day of.
Flowers and cards from the drugstore are one thing, but you’re likely to miss out on a special date if you wait too long.
Meadow Brook Hall, a historic estate in Rochester, Michigan, says the 115 tickets available for its annual Valentine’s Day dinner sold out weeks ago. The venue gets requests all the way through Valentine’s Day, says Katie Higgins, Meadow Brook’s marketing and communications manager. The week before the dinner, 50 couples were on the wait list.
Joseph Ferrari, a psychology professor at DePaul University in Chicago, says around 20% of men and women are chronic procrastinators. But in the case of Valentine’s Day, there are other reasons consumers might put things off.
“There’s a lot of fatigue. We just did Christmas, now you’re hitting me up for this,” he said. Others procrastinate because they fear failing or buying the wrong gift, he said.
Ferrari has some advice: Don’t procrastinate when it comes to telling people you love them.
“We should be celebrating love all the time, not just once in a while,” he said.
